Intermittent drive



Sept. 13, 1960 P. PEGARD INTERMITTENT DRIVE 5 Sheets-Sheet l Filed April 13, 1956 P. PEGARD INTERMITTENT DRIVE Sept. 13, 1960 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed April 13, 1956 INVENTOR. PIERRE PEGARD A TTORNE Y.

Sept. 13, 1960 P. PEGARD 2,952,159

` INTERMITTENT DRIVE l Filed April 13, 1956 5 sheets-sheet s /l/l/ F/g 4 l@l 4 a f4, L

INVENTOR.

PIERRE PEGARD ATTORNEY.

Sept. 13, 1960 P. PEGARD 2,952,159

' INTERMITTENT DRIVE Filed April 1s, 195e 5 sheets-sheet 4 MMM INVENTOR.

PIERRE PEGARD ATTORNEY.

P. PEGARD INTERMITTENT DRIVE sept. 13, 1960 Filed April 13, 1956 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 United States Patent DRIVE 'Pierre -Pegard, Courbevoie, France, assignor to-Ateliers G.S.P., Courbevoie, France, -a French society Filed Apr..13,-19s6,'ser. No. 578,085 Y`Claims-priority, applicationFranceiApr. 15, 1955 9 Claims. V(Cl. 74-116) -Thisinvention relatestorintermittentfdrive systems of .the ltype-wherein ay continuous rotationof a drive-member is converted into an `intermittent one-Way gf-advance of a driven tmember, and fthe invention iszof especialutility Vin connection-With machinetoolsffor imparting intermittent `lfeed displacements 'to-componentsthereof, e.g.v to ,the V..work-table of avshaper during thegreturndisplacement of `the-slide.

It isfconvent-ional toderiveangintermittent displacement f from a .continuous rotation, by thel general method vwhich .involvesiirstconverting ithefcontinuous. rotation into a 1 reoipro'catory -motion, l usingi e; g. an excentric forthis pur- .pose, and then converting the reeiprocation-.intofthe desired intermittent displacement 'fof the drivenmemberV through ,a one-way drive connection vofany vsuitable character, such Las a pawl-and-ratchet-. mechanism, a free-wheel" de- Vvice orthel like. Difliculties are encounteredhowever when it is desired to impart theV intermittent :displacement toga/.driven vpart thatforms part'of an assembly which i tself is` movable relatively tothe stationary :frame on which fthe continuously-rotating drive member is Vjour- ;',nalled,.andit is one object'of this invention to overcome this ,difficulty f and to ,provide y an intermittent z drive :trans- -.mission that will :be applicable :under the circumstances g i just specified.

Affurtherfobject is to provide. v such an'intermittent drive `-.system@that-will be freadilyadjustable, ire. wherein the ,i length offeaehy incremental Ystep impartedk to the driven member may be controlled, snchcontrol-being effected from-the ,stationary frarne of the machine. A .related sobjectisito -provide such an, vadjustable intermittentdrive qwhereinthe adjustment Will-not be-taifected-bymovement -of.me-movable :assembly ofl whichrthe `driven member forms-part. ".-Yet further -objects A.Will appear.

' In-1aecordance with animportant,` feature ofthis inven- `gtionfthecontinuousirotation .of the driven :member is converted intoV 4;areciprocatory-'motion Yoftan element 'carriedby the stationary f framef of 'pthe f ma'chin'e. One advantage ofjthis,arrangementfisgthatthe `componentsfree uiningitorbeilodgedwithin the movable assemblyfare minimized, 1 and \mor.e0'vcrf adjustment' of: the intermittent eadvajncewratefis facilitated vsincez-such adjustment may 'y'readily be, elfected'byaacting onvthe elementcarriedby estationaryframe. "Desirablythe reciprocatory:elementfmay comprisetan Y-fexpansible'flexible element,ffsu'ch as afsprocketI chain conenected `.with any expansibgle,V spring,1having `'its .endsv Yattached @to .the frame, :and engaging' bothaan excenterv carried -by itlie .continuouslyy rotated .drivesfmemben and the drive eelementzof :ether one-wayLdrive positionedfin the movable .ig-assembly. v elhis inventionlwillf now -be described `byivvay ofexample "buti not ofl-limitation-With reference to --the accompanying j'drawings,-vvhereinz f 1i-Fig. lliisaside v iew,-partly in section on linejI-Iof iii-iig. `2, illustrating a shapermachine constructed Y in .ac- GQfdancewith the invention;

Fig. 2 isa corresponding plan viewpartly linlsectio on line II-II of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a partial sectional view on line IIiI-'IIIofFig 4 illustrating details ofthe mechanism;

Fig. 4 is a vertical sectional view takenrapproximately along the line IV--IV of Fig. 3;

Fig. 4a is a similar view taken approximately alongthe line IVa-IVa of Fig. 3; and

Fig. 5 is a simpliied perspective view illustrating somewhat diagrammatically a modied embodiment of '-theinvention.

Referring to Fig. 1, a shaping machine comprises a base 1 on which is mounted a casing 2 containing them'ajor part of the mechanism of the machine. Since'this mechanism may be largely conventional only those components directlyinvolved in the invention are illustrated indetail in Figs.'3 and 4. A slide 3 from whicha tool4 is supported is adapted for displacement relatively `to the' base and casing in -the direction indicated by the arrows f.

The carriage or slide-3 receives its motion from a'ldsc 5 (see'Fig. 3) disposedwithin the casing 2` and secured on a shaft 6 journalled in the casing land 'having anend;7 projecting from aside of said casing.

The workpiece isadapted tobe mounted on a'tableS whichis movablev in a direction normal tothe plane -of Fig. 1, being threaded on a screw Ashaft Y 9 whi'chiis journalled for rotation in a yvertical traversing carriage 13,

'the shaft being engaged in a threaded opening formed-in a projecting boss 10 of the table -8 so that rotation of the screw shaft will displace'the table. The tablek is` guided in its displacements by means of suitable ways 11' and12 projecting from the vertically traversing carriage 13.

Extending through the carriage 13 is a vertical screw "shaft 14 having its ends xed in the base and casing.

Carriage' 13 is guided in its vertical movement byv Ways Wland W2.

For imparting these vertical displacements to carriage '13 and hence lto the table 8 there is provided a shaftv 15 '-rod"14. Thusit Vwill'be understood rthat rotation of shaft v'15vvill rotate'pinion 17 and pinion' 18 Ywhich in turnwill fbezconstrainedto move up or down along .the xe'd screw :lshaft14 carrying the carriageand table assemblyfwith 'it in its vertical movements.

A,In accordancev with ther invention-means are provided for'imparting an intermittent feed motionto one of lthe threaded shafts 9 or 15. Thus an intermittent: motion .imparted :to screw-shaft@ produces a periodic transverse displacementof the table during `the return movementof Vthe slide `3, whereas the same intermittent motionimparted to screw shaft 15 produces a periodic `verticaldisplacement of the table.

Referring to Fig. 3, a commutatorunit is shown at A mounted on a sideof thev vertical carriage 13- and'trans- -mits intermittent-motion from a main shaft 19 to one of the intermediate shafts 9 or 15.

Referring toFigs. 3v and 4, there will be seen the abovementioned elements, particularly the-shaft 9 and the shaft Y'15. The intermittent movements transmitted to one or the other of these two shafts, originate 'ma single trans- Verse 'shaft 19 contained inthe casing .13 adjacentl the shafts 9 and 15. -The shaft 19, by means of aiselective gear transmission of-known type contained :in .the gear box, 20 transmits this intermittent movement to shafts-f9 vor 15 with an increased `or reduced gear ratio, depending uponthe setting of the transmission.

The settingv of the extent of'advance providedbyrotantion of` shafts A9'and 15 is readily-zeectedfby;use;ofzthe f verniers 2,1and 22x and the associated terminal extremities 3 23 and 24 of the shafts 9 and 15, respectively, upon which the verniers are mounted.

The shaft 19 receives its intermittent motion by suitable transmission from continuously rotating master shaft 6. In the embodiment illustrated, this transmission from continuous to intermittent motion is effected in the following manner: The continuous rotary movement of the master shaft 6 is first converted into a reciprocatory movement through an excentric generally designated at B, and comprising a crankpin I6a depending from the hub 6 in excentric relation therewith. Freely rotatable on pin 6a is a ring 29 having sprocket teeth 30 formed around its gear 26 journalled on a shaft 19 journalled in the vertically movable carriage 13. The free end of the chain is attached to one end of a tension spring 25a the opposite end of which is anchored at a fixed point k. Thus it will be seen that on continuousrotation of the shaft 6 the excentric rotation of crankpin 6a will cause the tension spring alternately to expand and contract, and the chain 25 will cause reciprocating limited rotation of the sprocket lpinion 26 and idler 35.

Sprocket 26 is secured by a key 37 to a sleeve 38 which is mounted for rotation about the shaft 19 through a pair of bearing bushings 39 land 40. The lower end of sleeve 38 has a radially projecting part which constitutes the hub 41 (Fig. 4a) of la free-Wheel device. This device comprises a casing 46 having a tubular bottom end part (Fig. 3) keyed to the shaft 19 and an upwardly open bellshaped upper part in which is received a cylindrical member 45 having an outer periphery closely fitting the inner periphery of said bell-shaped part of casing 46, with a number of radial sockets formed in said ofuter periphery and containing balls 47 which are spring-urged in a radially outward direction by springs 49 located in said sockets. Thus the inner member 45 is normally applied in rm frictional engagement with the outer member 46.

The inner member 45 is formed with ra set of internal ratchet teeth which are adapted to be engaged by a pawl 42 pivoted on a pin 43 which is secured within a recess of the hub portion 41, and the pawl is urged into engagement with the ratchet teeth by a spring 44. The arrangement is such therefore that the limited reciprocatory rotation of the sprocket gear 26 and hub 41 will result in an intermittent one-way rotation of the outer bell member 46 and shaft 19 rigid therewith. Thus `an intermittent feed motion is imparted to the vertically movable carriage assembly on continuous one-way rotation of the drive shaft 6.

Means are provided for controlling the rate of this intermittent vertical displacement by controlling the angular arc over which the one-way drive device C is operative; i.e.

by rendering the one-way drive inoperative over a greater Y or smaller part of its full range of displacement, the llength of each incremental step of displacement imparted Y sleeve 28 with the cam portion 27 thereof relatively to the pawl-carrying sleeve 41, the particular point at which 'the pawl is disabled may be controlled and the desired adjustment of each step of intermittent displacement thereby [adjusted as explained previously.

It is important however that such adjustment will not be affected by the particular angular position of the sprocket gear 26, i.e. the particular vertical elevation of the movable carriage assembly. For this purpose the cam-carrying sleeve 28 is itself subjected to similar angular displacements as is the sprocket 26 and pawl carrying member 41. Thus, the cam sleeve 28 is formed near its top end with a sprocket gear 28 similar in diameter and pitch to drive sprocket 26, and an auxiliary sprocket chain 50 is tr-ained around this additional sprocket and has its one end anchored to one end of a tension spring 51 the other end of which is lanchored to the frame as at k. The other end of the chain 50 is passed around a sprocket gear 52 dimensioned identically with sprocket gear 35 and mounted coaxially with the latter being keyed on a lstub shaft 53 which is freely rotatable in the hollow stub shaft 36 on which sprocket 35 is journalled. The free end of chain 50 is suitably anchored to a point of the periphery of the sprocket gear 52 itself. Thus it will be apparent that by adjusting the angular position of sprocket 52, the relative angular position of camming sleeve 28 may be adjusted relative to that of pawl sleeve 41 in order to produce the desired stepping rate yadjustment for the carriage assembly, and it will also be clear that such adjustmentwill hold good throughout the full range of vertical displacements of the carriage 13, since such vertical displacements will act through the respective chains 25 and 50 to aifect the angular positions of both sleeves to an equal degree. Thus in Fig. 4 the full-line showing relates to the condition of the system in an uppermost position of the vertically movable carriage assembly, while the chain-lines illustrate the condition in the lowermost position of said assembly.

The angular adjustment of sprocket gear 52 may conveniently be accomplished as illustrated by providing the sprocket 52 with an extension part formed with a tapped opening through which an adjustable screw 54 is threaded, the tip of the screw being adapted through a ball 55 to abut against the end surface of an inwardly projecting screw rod 56 threaded through the casing wall and rotatable from outside in order to adjust the angular position of sprocket 52 and hence the length of each step of movement imparted to the carriage assembly through the mechanism described.

In the modified embodiment of the invention diagrammatically illustrated in Fig. 5, the one-way drive rather than using a paWl-and-ratchet mechanism comprises a pair of balls 57 conventionally operating in dissymmetrical recesses formed in the member l41 rigid with the drive sprocket 26, and said balls cooperating with the (herein smooth) internal periphery of the member 45 which herein is directly secured to the shaft 15 to which intermittent rotation is to be imparted. The chain Z has its end opposite from that secured to the tension spring 25a, attached to one end 59 of a lever 60 pivoted at 61 on the frame of the machine, and normally urged by the tension spring 25a into a position wherein the upper end of the lever engages an adjustable stop 64 threaded through the casing wall and adjustable from outside by means of a knob or the like 65. Pivotally supported on the lever 60 at a point 62 spaced a predetermined distance h from the pivotal center 61 of the lever is a roller 63. Moreover a drum 66 is secured to the excenter 6a coaxially with it. It Will be observed that so long as the periphery of drum 66 does not engage roller 63 at any point during the excentric rotation of said drum, the lever 60 remains stationary and holds the end 59 of the chain 25 in -a fixed position, so that the operation of the chain drive is unchanged with respect to that previously described. However, should the Vadjustment be such that the drum 66 engages the roller 63 at a certain point during the revolution of the eXcenter, the lever 60 will be deected and the anchor point 59 of the chain will move vsoas to' compensate lfor the'fexcentric' displacement Vof nthe `sprocket. pinion. Z9 s over the-.remaining part of the particular .revolution xthereof. 'Ihus,fno displace- :mentwill be transmittedto'thedrive sprocket 26 through said remainingspartof thee-revolution. It will be seeny .present when a pawl-and-ratchet mechanism is usedras in I the first described construction.

The above described machine operates as follows: Shaft 6 turns continuously and, by reason of the presence of excentric 6a, chain 25 undergoes a longitudinal oscillating movement in the direction of the arrows F while the spring 51 simultaneously extends and contracts.

The pinion 26 at the same time effects an oscillating rotary movement on shaft 19 and carries with it, by reason of the sleeve 38, the hub portion 41. When the hub portion 41 turns in the direction of the arrow F1, nothing is driven, but when the hub portion 41 turns in the direction of the arrow F2, it carries With it, by reason of the presence of the pawl 42, the member 45 which in turn moves the casing 46 by the action of the balls 47. Since the casing 46 is rigid with the shaft 19, this shaft thus receives an intermittent rotary movement which is communicated, through the gearing in gear case 20, to one or the other of the shafts 9 and 15, depending upon the direction of movement it is desired to impart to the table 8, i.e. transverse movement or vertical movement. The amplitude of the movement effected is determined by the relative position of the cam portion Z7 in relation to the ends of the circular course followed by the pawl 42.

When the casing 13 is lowered, for example to the position 13 as shown in Fig. 4, the chain 25 assumes the position 25'. When the pinion 26 has rotated with the chain 25 and has carried with it the member 41 in the direction of the arrow F1, the pawl 42 is, VJfor example, in the position 42', having slid over the internal teeth of the member 45 whichhas remained motionless. The cam portion 27 at the same time undergoes rotation of the same amplitude since the pinions 26 and 28 have the same diameter and the chains 25 and 50` are superimposed when viewed in elevation. As a result, the cam portion Z7 reaches the position 27' and the amplitude of the movement transmitted to the shaft 17, depending upon the relationship between the path travelled by the member 41 and the path of the member 45, remains constant in spite of the lowering ofthe casing 13.

What I claim is:

1. In a machine assembly, a stationary frame, an

assembly linearly movable relative to said stationary frame and including a part movable relative to said movable assembly, a continuously rotatable member journalled on said frame, a oneJway drive device in said movable assembly including a drive element and a driven element, said rotatable member and said drive element being in parallel relationship, means connecting said rotatable member in the stationary frame with said drive element in said movable assembly, said means being adapted for uninterrupted conversion of the continuous rotation of said member into reciprocation of said drive element in said movable assembly, said connecting means engaging said drive means tangentially, one-way drive means interconnecting `said drive and driven elements whereby reciprocation of said drive element will cause an intermittent one-way displacement of said driven element, and means operatively connecting said driven element with said part for producing an intermittent displacement of said part.

' 2. Inia machine assembly, la stationary iframe, a'nzas- 'sembly linearlymovable/relative to said stationary -frame and including a part movable relative Ato said -movable assembly, a continuously Arotatable member journalled on said iframe. and having anexcenter thereon,f adrive element in said movable assembly, ilexible meanshaving at least one end expansibly connected with said frame and said means engaging both said yeXcenter-andzsaid drive element lwhereby rotation of said rotatable -member in the stationary frame will lproduce an expandingcontracting reciprocation of said'fiexible means and a reciprocation of saiddrive element vin said movable-assembly, a driven .element inisaidmovable assembly-and one-way drive means between said drive and driven elements whereby reciprocation ofthe former will'causeran intermittent one-way'rotationof the `latter elementgand means connecting said driven element with said part.

3. The combination claimed in claim 2, wherein said flexible means comprise :a sprocket chain having arrl expansible spring portion, a lirst sprocket gear freely journalled on said excenter and engaging said chain, and a second sprocket gear secured to said drive element in said movable assembly and engaging said chain.

4. In a machine, a stationary frame, an assembly linearly movable relative to said frame and a part supported by and movable relative to said movable assembly, a continuously rotatable member journalled on said stationary frame and an eccentric element supported by said member, a drive element rotatable in said movable assembly, a flexible means having at least one end expansibly connected with said frame and said means engaging both said eccentric element and said drive element in said movable assembly whereby rotation of said member in said stationary frame will produce an expanding-contraction reciprocation of said flexible means and a reciprocation of said drive element in said movable assembly, a driven element rotatable in said movable assembly and a one-way drive connection from said drive to said driven element in said movable assembly, whereby reciprocation of the former will cause an intermittent rotation of the latter element, means connecting said driven element with said part, and adjusting means for varying the length of each step of intermittent rotation imparted by said drive to said driven element in said movable assembly, said adjusting means comprising a member angularly adjustable relatively to both said drive element and said driven element in said movable assembly for disabling said one-way drive connection at a selected point of the rotation of said drive element, a rotatable control element on said frame, and second flexible means having at least one end connected to said second expansible means, said exible means connecting said control element and said adjustable member for angularly adjusting said adjustable member on rotation of said control.

5. In the combination claimed in claim 2, adjustable means operated by said excenter `adapted for engaging said ilexible means over part of each revolution of said excenter, whereby said flexible means will then follow said excenter to cancel the reciprocation of said ilexible means over said part of each revolution so as to vary each incremental step of said intermittent displacement.

6. In a machine, a stationary frame, an assembly linearly movable relative to said frame and a part supported by and movable relative to said movable assembly, a continuously rotatable member journalled on said stationary frame andan excentric element supported by said member, gear means on said excentric element, a drive element rotatable in said movable assembly, exible means having at least one end expansibly connected with said frame and said means engaging both said gear means on said excentric element and said drive element in said movable assembly whereby rotation of said member in said stationary frame will produce an expanding-contraction reciprocation of said llexible means and a reciprocation of said drive element in said movable assembly, a driven element rotatable in said movable assembly and Y a one-way drive connection from said drive to said driven element in said movable assembly, whereby reciprocation of the former will cause an intermittent rotation of the latter element, means connecting said driven element with said part, and adjusting means for Varying the length of each step of intermittent rotation imparted by said drive to said driven element in said movable assembly.

7. The combination claimed in claim 6, wherein said adjusting means comprises means for disabling said oneway connection over a selected part of the reciprocatory stroke of said drive element in said movable assembly.

8. The combination claimed in claim 6, wherein said one-way drive connection comprises a pawl and ratchet mechanism, and said adjusting means comprises a member of said drive element in said movable'assembly.

9. The combination claimed in claim 6, wherein said adjusting means comprises a member angular-ly adjustable Vrelatively to said elements for disabling said oneway drive connection at a predetermined variable point of the rotation of said drive element in said movable assembly.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES lPATENTS 293,957 Ellrich Feb. 19, 1884 1,807,035 Herman May 26, 1931 2,709,370 Bailey et al. May 3l, 1955 2,810,302 James Oct. 22, 1957 

